Convertible waistband for



pt. 3, 1940. R. D. PUNSLY 2,213,78

CONVERTIBLE WAISTBAND FOR TROUSERS Filed Jan. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3nventor G ttornegz p 1940- R. D. PUNSLY CONVERTIBLE WAISTBAND FOR TROUSERS Filed Jan. 26, 1940 l Z I Zmventor 9 Gnome Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES CONVERTIBLE WAISTBAND FOR TROUSERS Robert D. Punsly, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 26, 1940, Serial No. 315,797

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to convertible waistbands for trousers, and has for its general object to provide a convertible trousers for men in which the trousers may be made to assume a high-waisted condition suitable for use with braces or suspenders, or alternatively converted into a low-waisted or hip-waisted garment in which a portion of the high-waist may be turned over externally of the garment to simulate a belt and to impart t0 the garment also the suspension characteristics of a belt.

The vogue for the high-waisted trousers which has continued for some time shows every evidence of becoming permanent due partly to the fact that such waists greatly enhance the appearance of the trousers upon the wearer. However this type of trousers as at present made is subject to the objection that at all times one is required to wear braces or suspenders to maintain these trousers in a correct position upon the person so as to give a correct and pleasing appearance and to avoid the slouching down of the trousers with their consequent ill-looking effect.

I have also noted the fact that the use of a 25 belt with this type trouser is not successful.

However my experience has shown that a great many wearers of high-waisted trousers prefer the comfort of a belt, which as a matter of fact oftentimes becomes a necessity, because of the desire 30 of men to remove coats and vests particularly at home or when arriving at the ofi'ice. Moreover in order to fully relax braces or suspenders are an encumbrance.

It is therefore an important object of the pres- 85 ent invention to combine in a. single garment the comfort of the hip-trouser and the style of the high-waist.

This inventive concept is achieved generally speaking by the use of a convertible waistband which is foldable upon the garment either upwardly or downwardly to convert the garment either into a high-waisted trouser or into a trouser of the hip type.

A further object of the invention is to dispense with the necessity for altering trousers for instance from a high-waisted garment to a hip garment which in the'terms of the trade is to lower the rise" and which with the best of tailors is a costly, complicated and in most cases unsuccessful alteration.

It is a further object of the invention to secure the advantages of the improved trousers with only negligible additional manufacturing cost.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings in which like parts are denoted by the same reference characters throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved trousers constructed in accordance with the pres ent invention and shown in a position of use with braces or suspenders as a high-waisted garment.

Figure 2 is a similar view with the braces removed and the garment converted to the hip type.

Figure ,3 is a fragmentary perspective view with parts broken away and parts shown in section of the waist and belt portion of the improved gar- 15 ment taken on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a front elevation with parts broken away of the trousers in an initial formative stage, and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 but with the belt section outturned.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the improved trousers are designated generally at l0 and as having a Waist portion represented generally at H. v.

As will more clearly appear from Figures 1 and 3 the waist is of that conventional form popularly known today as the high-waist, this waist reaching up considerably above the hip line of the wearer. Such waist carries preferably at the usual external points the buttons I2 for the attachment of the braces or suspenders 13, which are indicated in Figure 1, and which will preferably be used when the garment is employed in its original high-waisted condition.

In accordance with the invention I provide upon the interior upper portion of the high-waist ll what I term as a belt section I I. This belt 40 section l4 may be of any suitable material, cut and shaped to any desired form. One form may take the same pattern as the garment Ill.

The belt section I4 may be of any suitable depth and it may be in one piece with the high- 45 waist I I if desired and folded over upon the upper edge of'the waist and turned upon the inside of the garment, being stitched in place if desired by one or more lines of stitching as hereinafter indicated. The usual curtain is also shown in Figure 3 at l6.

As shown in Figures 1, 4 and 6, the line I! indicates the line of flexure on which the belt I4 and the upper section l8 of the high-waist are together folded over to give the condition of the 55 garment shown in Figure 2, wherein the belt section I4 is now outermost and exposed, the high-waist of the garment lowered appropriately, and the garment converted into that type known as the hip garment;

In order to aid .in this folding operation the waistband of the trousers is advantageously formed with a vent I9,- which may be the usual vent at the rear of the trousers.

Referring more particularly to Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6, I have here illustrated the canvas stay which may be modified in construction to constitute two sections 20 and 2I stitched along the lines 22 and 23 to the face of the garment III and then split along the line of cleavage 24. In other words the canvas stay is sewed into the garment along the lines 22 and 23 in a whole piece or integral band, and after the stitching, such canvas is cut along the line 24 in order to provide a line of waist break on which the belt section I4 and theupper waist section I8 may be folded. This line of waist break 24 will also communicate to the external appearance of the garment a horizontal circular line of suppression II spaced below the upper edge of the high-waisted trousers a suitable distance to add to the trim and neat looking appearance of the garment. This line of suppression II marks the diyiding line between the upper folda'ble outer waist section I8 and the lower non-folding waist section I I.

The belt section I4 may be secured at the front open end of the trousers in any suitable manner, as for instance shown in Figure 3, by the exten sion waistband 25 having the hook 26 thereon to loop through the eye 21 on the outer overlapped part of the waistband. With this form, when the trousers is converted to the hip type shown in Figure 2, the extension waistband 25 will become an external part and will contribute to the trim and neat appearance of the waistband and the garment as a whole.

As also seen in Figure 3 a hook 28 on the external part of the waistband may loop through an eye 29 on the overlapped inner part to secure the trousers together at the fly which is a usual form of fastening.

As shown to advantage in Figures 4 and 6, the lower edge I I of the belt section, vie-wed in its internal position in the high-waisted garment, extends appreciably below the line 24 of the waist break so that when the upper foldable section I8 of the high-waist is folded over on the line of waist break 24 upon the lower fixed waist section II, what was heretofore the lower edge I I of the internal belt section now becomes the upper edge of the external belt section in the hip garment. The line of-fold 24 of waist break is now below this upper edge I4 of the external belt sec-- tion I4 whereby such upper edge I4 extends up above any internal part of the waist of the garment to the end that no internal part of the waist may be seen but all will be concealed and the upper projecting edge I4 of the external belt section, as seen in Figure 6, will present an uninterrupted, neat and tidy appearance.

. As seen in Figures 3, 4 and 6, the curtain I6 is secured at its upper portion to the internal face of the internal belt section |4 along the line of stitching 30 which is in alinement with the line of waist break 24 and foldablethereon. The curtain I6 is also stitched to the lower stay section 2| and to the outer face of the garment III along the line of stitching 3| which is spaced vertically below the lower edge I 4 of the belt section I4 when in its internal position.

Then by a comparison of Figures 4 and 6 1| will be understood that the upper sections I8, 2| and I4 conveniently and quickly fold over outwardly and downwardly upon a line passing substantially through the suppression II, the line 01 waist break or cleavage 24 and the line of stitching 30. Inasmuch as the edge I4 of the bell section I4 is free of any connection beyond the line of stitching 30, such edge I4 will stand up independently when the sections are folded over as shown in Figures 2 and 6 and form an uninterrupted, continuous neat-appearing upper marginal edge portion of the garment where the garment and the shirt merge.

In executing this folding movement as just described, the curtain I6 folds between the lines of stitching 36 and 3|. In effect the line of stitching 3| holds down the active area of the curtain I6 which is undergoing the actual bending through substantially Thus the line of stitching 3| holds the curtain I6 down well within the confines of the upwardly-projecting upper free edge portion I4 of the external belt section I4 in the converted hip type of garment. This folded over portion of the curtain I6 between the lines of stitching 30 and 3| presents a smooth ap pearance and prevents any internal part of the waist from rising up and revealing itself above the upper edge I4 In fact this folded portion or area of the curtain I6 will be slightly stretched or put under tension by the outward act of folding which will tend to keep all interior parts of the Waist compacted downin a close and non-revealing condition. The curtain I6 preferably extends below the lower section 2| of the canvas stay. All of these parts are exaggerated in size and possibly out of their true proportions in Figures 4 and 6 for the purpose of clarity in demonstrating and explaining this internal construction and its mode of operation. An upper line of stitching 32 may if desired and for purposes of finish extend through the infolded upper portions of the belt section I4 and waist section I8 and the interposed upper canvas stay section 20.

It will be noted that the lines of stitching 22 and 23 pass only through the canvas stay and the face portion of the garment I0 as these stitches are run through these parts before the canvas stay is severed into the sections 20 and 2| so that the continuanceof these stitches through any other parts would render the inside surface of the canvas stay inaccessible to the knife that may be employed to achieve this cleavage. The line of stitching 36 only passes through the belt section I4 and. the curtain I6 as it is undesirable to attach the curtain at its upper portion to either the canvas stay or the outside material of the garment.

In fact it will be found that the only point of connection of the curtain IS with the canvas stay or the face material In of the garment is at the point 3|, thus leaving the curtain I6 perfect freedom above this point which facilitates the quickand smooth movement of the belt section to the outer and inner positions.

Moreover the alinement of the stitches 3D with the waist break 24 and line of suppression I I acts to reinforce and strengthen the garment at such points by a minimum thickness, the stitches being relatively thin in a vertical sense, so that while fulfilling the function of adding reinforcement and strength along the line of flexure or folding. yet the diminished thickness of such aaragse means as stitches avoid any tendency to interfere with the flexing or folding action and such stitches do not add undesirable bulk at this point of folding, particularly where many thicknesses of material are involved.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A garment comprising a high waistband composed of upper and lower parts, a belt section carried within the upper part, upper and lower stays in said waistband parts, stitching securing said stays in place, said stitching being disposed close to the adjacent edges of said stays, said stays being separated and providing a fold line in the waistband between the stitching and substantially coincident with the line between the upper and lower stays to facilitate folding of said parts and provide a neat stiffened waistband when the parts are folded and when not folded to form a line of suppression extending around the high waisted garment spaced below the upper edge thereof.

2. A garment comprising a high waistband composed of a lower non-foldablepart and an upper foldable part, a belt section integral with said waistband and carried within the foldable part and being of substantially the same vertical depth as said foldable part, c'o-extensiv'e stays in said waistband parts, a plurality of lines of stitching securing said stays in place, said lines of stitching being disposed close to the adjacent edges of the stays, said stays being separated and providing a fold line in the waistband between the lines of stitching and substantially coincident with the line between the foldable and non-foldable parts of the waistband to facilitate the folding of said parts and to provide a neat stifiened waistband when the parts are folded and when not folded to form a line of suppression extending around the high waisted garment spaced below the upper edge thereof.

3. A man's trousers garment comprising a waistband having fixed and foldable sections, a

i canvas stay within and secured to said waistband, spaced lines of stitching securing said stay at its intermediate part to the outer face of the garment, said stay being separated and providing a fold line in the waistband between the lines of stitching, a belt section secured to the interior of the waistband opposite to the foldable section and turnable on the outside of the garment when the foldable section is folded downwardly along the line of fold upon the fixed section, the lower'edge of the belt section viewed in its inner position being free and extending vertically below the horizontal line of said fold line to adapt such lower edge of the belt section, when out-turned to project upwardly above any adjacent inner portions of the belt section to form a neat and trim upper edge for the garment when connected into a hip garment, and a curtain stitched along its upper edge portion to the inside of the belt section along substantially the line of fold and also stitched to the outer face of the garment below the lower edge of the belt section.

4. An improved garment comprising a garment face material including a high waistband formed from such material including foldable and nonfoldable sections, a stay backing said high waistband, separated lines of stitching connecting the intermediate part of the stay with the face material, said stay between said lines of stitching being severed to produce a line of waistband fold resulting in a line of suppression of the face material following around said waistband fold, said waistband fold forming a weakened line of flexure on which the foldable waistband section is folded down upon the non-foldable waistband section, a belt section of a facematerial lying inwardly of the foldable section of the waistband and having an extension edge projecting into the non-foldable waistband section, a curtain within said stay and having a portion outwardly of said belt section, a line of stitching connecting said belt section and curtain in alinement with the line of suppression and waistband fold, said edge of the belt section extending beyond the last mentioned line of stitching and being free of the curtain and other parts, and a second line of stitching below the waistband fold and passing through the face material of the garment, the stay and the curtain.

' ROBERT D. PUNSLY. 

